Philosophy of Succession:

Philosophically, Bhagwan Swaminarayan is Purushottam - the God Supreme. And Gunatitanand Swami is Aksharbrahman - His divine abode, also called Akshardham. The Lord in His fullest glory, eternally resides in Gunatitanand Swami. They are ever together, inseparable - The Lord as the Master and Gunatitanand Swami as the ideal devotee, the disciple. On earth, every spiritual Guru in Bhagwan Swaminarayan's succession is the incarnation of Aksharbrahman in whom the Lord resides fully and eternally. As every Guru is the same Aksharbrahman entity, the devotees feel no spiritual change, except the physical change of another successor. It is clear that the Guru is not God, but is God's ideal devotee in whom God resides eternally.